Hey all!

Earlier today I stumbled upon an online museum tour and it was really well done. Since you had to "walk" through it sort of like when you're using Google Earth, I couldn't get a good look at all of the objects individually, but they had videos to read panels and highlight certain objects. I really enjoyed getting to experience the museum without actually being there, especially as someone who doesn't get to travel much.

I have a few days off coming up and would love to explore some other museums in a similar fashion. Please let me know if your institution or any others that you know of have tours you can "walk" through online! I'm glad things are growing more accessible everyday and I truly feel I learned a lot without even setting a foot in there.

To the folks who have museums with online tours: I would like to say thank you. It means a lot!

Thanks!

Hey guys, I’m currently on a years contract in a museum role to gain experience and also going to study at an online uni this year doing an access course (arts and languages) so I can eventually get a degree. I’m just wondering what degree to go onto after if I want to pursue a career in museums. Some advice on this would be great, my ideal future career would be to become a museum director. Which degrees did you guys go on to get (if any) and were they helpful?

I'll admit it, I'm a young professional. I'm under 30, have a Masters degree, and love museum work.

But recent experiences just have me so, disgusted. My previous job left me a a hit traumatized due to some of the personalities and getting screamed at by a fellow employee.

So when a job opened up as a Historic resource coordinator at a place I spent 7 years doing part time work, I jumped. The pay was way better and I felt like I would be doing things that would matter and help me grow as a professional. Turns out the Director hired a homeschool mom with no museum experience (to the shock and disappointment of literally EVERYONE on staff) as the supervisor over other applicants with 18 years of experience. I'm pissed. Even if I wouldn't have also gotten my job, I would have rather seen someone with actual field experience ensuring the place was taken care of.

This new supervisor is determined to take a lot of the "fun" parts of the job and leave me with collections (which isn't that much work. We don't get, nor take in a ton of donations- unless we get past perfect) and general operations (eff off. I did that 7 years part time at the same place.)

I'm nervous because of how easily this job can be cut by the bean counters downtown if they see its not necessary. I'm frustrated because of the regress seemingly taking place by hiring this person after having an absolutely amazing supervisor with loads of preservation and education experience, and I'm jaded because IDK. I'm this early in my career and already this done. I just want to feel like I'm doing something and I just am not getting it. And if it wasn't at a place I spent 7 years at, then when will I ever?

I'm going to demand a formal updated job description and designation of who is doing what, and if it is not to my liking, I'll stick it out for a year or two or so before I start looking for somewhere else. Even outside the field.

Anyone else have a similar experience? I know I'm young, but geesh, I just can't set any goals when I apparently am not even getting a chance to grow.

Museum Workers are on strike at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7155877

I’m curious if there’s anyone here to happens to work there who can comment on how the strike is going? I know that in the AGO’s case, they appear to be unionized workers, but I also know that at many museums and art galleries, they are not unionized.

Have other folks been on strike at their institutions? Is there a chance that something happening at a bigger institution like the AGO could create labour movements at other institutions too?

I’ve already been invited to take this assessment twice before and never had any luck; these were for curatorial assistant roles. This time, trying for a Gallery Attendant job. It’s a UK-based gallery.

I’m going into it with an optimistic go-getter mindset but it’s hard as these tests don’t demonstrate any skills or the amount of motivation applicants have. But I understand it’s one of those things to trim applicants down significantly.

Any advice on how to finally ace it?

Thanks!

I’ve been working in museums in NYC for 10+ years in both visitor services and education and I’m pretty over the low pay and the career stagnation. Anybody here particularly with visitor services or education background been able to leverage those skills to another higher paying career?

Any tips would be appreciate!

I’ve been doing software sales for about 5 years. I I like things about my job, like working from home and my 150k salary, but Im just not feeling satisfied.

I double majored in anthropology and history in undergrad.

I don’t know much about museum life. I know jobs are competitive and hours are long and y’all are underpaid. I just love history and feel so alive when I’m in museums. I like the idea of being an upper level person at a big museum like the MFA or MET. I would only want to do this if I felt like I had a change of making good money eventually and having a stable career.

My biggest assets are probably building relationships, negotiating, networking, presenting, teamwork, managing a team, and obviously sales. Is there a specific role that would fit my skill sets?

What’s the best path forward to getting my foot in the door? What schooling is necessary? How much will networking actually help me move up through the ranks?

Also, is it one of those things where you start losing interest in museums when it actually becomes work?

Hi all! I am currently in a fellowship at an art museum and looking for advice on how to spend my allotment of professional development funds. Any recommendations for conferences or museums to visit or courses to take? I am most interested in exhibition design and graphic design.

I can make a case for pretty much anything! Any ideas help.

I get $1500.

After months of job hunting, I finally got a curatorial assistant position. Immediately, I got red flags. Curator kept on calling me at odd hours when we were in talks for the job, and never scheduled a proper interview. There were also a lack of boundaries—questions about family, upbringing, housing, etc. I just went ahead with the offer because I needed something full-time.

During the first month on the job, it was clear that I should’ve taken something less stable instead of this mess of a position. In just two years, 5 different people have been in this position. The last person didn’t make it past 60 days before resigning. TMS is not workable, random checklists take three full working day to compile, plagiarizing object descriptions from other institutions, unprofessionalism, lack of communication, micromanaging, etc.

The worst is the contradictions and verbal abuse. I was told to create a checklist and leave some works out because they ended up not wanting to include them. I gave them the checklist, only to be yelled at for it being not complete with the objects they previously told me to exclude. Then, they turned the conversation and started scolding me about how I never sent something they asked for. As it turns out, we found it in their email drafts because that’s where they saved it. Instead of apologizing, they just said nevermind. This is just one day out of a full month and a half.

I was prepared for egotistical, but I was not expecting full on toxic. I’m over it, especially after I found out they were just plagiarizing, and am back on the job market. That being said, how should I deal with this in the meantime? Should I be concerned about recording things said? Should I avoid writing anything under this curator (I do NOT want to be attached to any work in this museum, even if it costs me a CV line)? How would/did you navigate a toxic supervisor?

Hi all! I'm graduating in May with BS in Anthropology but I'd like to get into the museum world. Eventually I'd like to get my PhD but was considering online MA in Museum studies while I transition careers (I'm a mid-life student). One of my current professors didn't think online was the way to go as museums are a lot of networking and "who you know" and thought an in person school would potentially lead to more connections down the road. Just wondering what those already in the field think?

Thank you!

I work in a dinosaur park that has a prehistoric "aquarium," (it's actually in 3D.) Our tour guide will soon be retiring, and we wanted to make the experience self-guided, so we were thinking about adding the names and a few facts of each species so people can learn by themselves. We are new to this business, so does anyone know what kind of exhibit we could include that works well in the dark? Thanks so much for anyone reading this!

I work at a small size, volunteer run, town archive, for a contract project to better organize and eventually digitize their collection. A large part of this project is cataloging the collection, as it was not done so previously. This includes creating a new system of Accession Numbers and Object IDs, as they were previously absent or very inconsistent.

So far I have been putting everything into Excel, with the help of volunteers, as we did not have access to museum software. We are now finally able to access PastPerfect 5.0, and can begin migrating and entering information there.

Does it make any sense to continue using an Excel Spreadsheet as a backup to PastPerfect, or would it be better to simply stick to PastPerfect? My main thought for continuing with the Excel spreadsheet would be that it could serve as a backup, could be easy for volunteers to navigate when wanting to check for information quickly or unable to access PastPerfect, and would ensure that we would still have access to information in case access to PastPerfect is ever lost. However, I also understand this could delay or complicate workflow.

The volunteers are largely of a retired demographic rather than students and when my project is done, I would like to leave them with a workflow that is clear to navigate and good for the long term.

Hey team,

I have a somewhat naive question. How does one go about requesting/convincing a museum to test the material of an object? I'm an MA art history student and will be writing my thesis on an ivory object that I believe is not. I've accessed the object file and there has been VERY little research on it for a rather significant collection/museum-- date and origin aren't agreed upon among the museum curators. I have the support of my professor (a notable name in the field with connections in the museum) and two other well-known scholars but I just have to get in with the curators at the museum. I'm unsure how to begin as I know it is a big ask that will need lots of vetting. Is there a formal process? How do I initiate the conversation?

(It's a whole other story to address frustration that I'm not prepared to do these kinds of things but almost graduated from my program!!!)

Hi everyone. I work in membership in a small museum here in Chicago. Museum leadership floated the idea of having a sort of "member advisory board" with a small number members who could help us improve our membership programs and more understand what folks are looking for with membership as we grow. Has anyone tried something like this before? Was it successful? Just trying to get a general idea of what the future might hold. Thanks!

Did anyone apply for this or heard back yet?

Ignoring obvious fiction or fantasy like Night at the Museum and Indiana Jones, what ostensibly accurate depictions of museum careers are the most ludicrous to you? I'll post some examples, add your own, and we can upvote and see how egregious the ideas of what we do are!

I did an internship at a small gallery and have graduated with my bachelors… what types of jobs in the museum space should I be looking for?

What are some career options for Technical Art History graduates in museums?

I am currently finishing my master's and also doing a work placement at a Collection Centre lab.

P.S: I am not planning to pursue easel painting conservation or a PhD this year.

Hi all, I would really appreciate your help with an upcoming interview in the UK museum sector. I am trying to transfer from education (teaching) and this will be my third interview in the museums industry. I think the question I am coming unstuck on is ‘How would you deal with a disruptive pupil/ or child who is climbing on something they shouldn’t’ etc. I have been answering from a teacher point of view, so things like try to distract them/ get them involved / make sure there are not any unmet SEND needs / ask their teacher or parent etc What do you actually do in these situations? I can talk about examples I’ve actually experienced but I think I’m struggling to envisage situations that I haven’t dealt with. Advice from Visitor Experience Assistants & Learning Facilitators/ Engagement Officers etc gratefully received 😊 Thanks

I am a recent gradute in Cultural Heritage Management from UoY (UK). I want to step into collections care, but I am not yet successful. I have been applying to customer facing roles in the museums as well, but no success. I am not even getting interviews!!! I have been doing volunteering in Sheffield Museums for a while. I have plenty of experience in customer based role, but I want to go for collections care and management stuff. I am not even getting to see volunteering opportunities for this. And even if there are, they are far away from my city which will cost me fortune and time to travel for unpaid work. Honestly, I am struggling to land a job in any museum.

Any guidance or suggestions please?? For resume and/or job applications? Any help would be appreciated!!

I was just offered a job as an Assistant Curator for $48,000 a year. To be honest, I am quite disappointed in this salary as I have a Master's degree 100% relevant to the art museum's collection, experience, and the city that I would be living in has a higher cost of living. The salary is also below the median for this state. It also seems like they expect me to work overtime a lot. How do I negotiate a better pay, if it is even possible? Would it be considered rude if I tried to negotiate?

Hello! I have been a exhibits graphic designer for 1.5 years now at a smaller local museum. I have my BFA in graphic design and mainly do content and layout / print as my main job but also assist with spatial planning/overall exhibit design -- sort of a combined graphic designer / exhibit designer position.

I am representing my museum + position as a graphic designer at a middle school career fair next week and was wondering if anyone had any ideas for an activity to hand out to the students. I participated last year, and my activity was a step-by-step handout on how to draw an otter since I work at a marine museum that has live wildlife on exhibit. I am trying to brainstorm any other fun, engaging ideas more related to exhibit design / graphic design i.e. content layout, modelmaking, print, etc. that isn't just drawing. TIA!

Hi everyone,

I work for California State Parks and was made aware of a virtual event happening on April 12th from 1pm to 2pm regarding museum careers in state parks. This seems to be a recent push from Parks to hire more qualified museum staff at various locations!

The link to the webinar is listed here

If you have any questions you can email recruiting@parks.ca.gov.

Just thought I'd spread the word! I'm not part of museum staff specifically, but do deal with education at parks. Good luck everyone!

If anyone has had a past experience applying to the Sotheby's summer internship in New York, could you tell me how long more or less will it be until we hear back about the final decision? Also, how competitive is it still in these final rounds?

Hello, I'm gonna start my masters in museum studies in Europe and I'm very curious what kind of careers I can pursue with this masters.

I have a degree in English and German Languages and a minor in classical studies. If my career in museum studies doesn't work I can always go to the field of my degree, just really wanna do something I chose myself, not by the influence of others. Just got curious. Thanks!!

Canadian American Dual citizen here, with little usable French experience (but totally down to learn!), from a French Canadian Family. I was the first generation to not be forced to speak french. Just coming out of my Museum Studies masters program from the Mid East coast (keeping it vague because its totally possible people I personally work with are on here). I'm confident in my abilities to perform in a museum setting, have had many internships and have a rather impressive capstone project that is being presented at NCPH in the next week or so.

Personally, I have nothing keeping me chained where I live anymore, so I'm looking for a city to start a museum career and by extension plant roots and begin my life. As per the title, Montreal has interested me quite a bit and im interested in what the museum professional scene is like up there! Or in Canada in general. My professional network I've developed while studying here doesn't quite reach that far north.

Any insight or advice about anything I mentioned is welcome. I've found that GLAM folk usually give well rounded advice.

I am looking for resources (books, articles, online courses, etc) for protocols and best practices for collection management, specifically privately owned collections rather than museums. Any help would be appreciated!

I find myself immersed in a job search that's proving to be more of a slow burn than I initially anticipated. After seeking feedback from colleagues at previous internship institutions, it seems my lack of interview offers doesn't stem from shortcomings in my materials. Rather, it appears to be a reflection of the current job market, a reality I fully understand. It's become evident that many job postings are essentially placeholders, with positions often filled internally.

However, I've begun to question whether my resume might inadvertently be hindering my prospects. With a graduate degree from a highly respected program, conference presentations under my belt, ongoing personal projects, and nearly a decade of relevant work experience at some of New York City's most prominent institutions (despite being just 27), my resume resembles more of a CV and spans two pages.

Some additional context is:

I currently serve as a prospect researcher at a museum, a role I've held since the summer of 2022, following my graduation from my MA program. I'm eager to transition back to positions focusing on object/exhibition research or curatorial work. I've been selective in my job applications, prioritizing opportunities that won't significantly compromise my quality of life due to pay cuts.

In summary, I'm curious if the length of my resume, which resembles more of a CV, is affecting my chances. Additionally, I wonder if museums' HR departments heavily rely on ATS software for initial screenings, only thoroughly reviewing those that meet certain criteria set by an AI rubric. Although many museums I've worked at use ATS software, I've always assumed that human resources quickly skim through each applicant's materials to determine if they should move forward, as opposed to just those that are scoring well against some AI rubric.

I am a psychologist and I am looking for a second career option. Museums make me SO happy and learning about different cultures and topics make me feel alive. I am looking into a Museum Studies & Heritage Preservations degree currently. My dream would be to be able to help curate and create exhibits specifically for art and different cultures. I am also very passionate about film and how that can play into exhibits and preservation. However, I don't know if I was to get the degree that these options would be available. I am sure there are different jobs in that sphere (especially on what type of museum you want to work at) but I wouldn't want to waste my money and realizing I wouldn't be able to achieve this goal in the future of my career. Can anyone tell me about their own career and what their jobs consist of in working at a museum?